Frederick g



(No Model.)

' F. Gr. CORNING.

SAND BOX.

No. 451,455. Patented May 5,1891.

INVENTOH WITNESSES:

ZZZ

. ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT UEEIQE.

FREDERICK G. CORNING, OF NEVV' YORK, N. Y.

S A N D B O X.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 451,455, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed February 4, 1891. $erial No. 380,217- (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK G. CORNING, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sand-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for distributing sand upon street-railways or other tracks or surfaces automatically for the purpose of promoting traction.

The invention applies either to motor-driven street-cars, motors, or to cars requiring a sanded track to render the brakes effectual.

The object of my invention is to secure a positive delivery of the sand in a measured quantity, whether in a dry condition or in a slightly-damp or partially-frozen condition, as frequently incident to its use upon streetcars; and the object is particularly to avoid interference with the operation of the movable parts by the crowding or jamming of hard substances or caked portions of the sand at the outlet. This evil is liable to occur in devices so constructed as to deliver the sand to the lower portion of the hopper, in which the deliveringsurfaces converge and the movable parts travel in the direction so converging.

My invention consists in a sand-box provided with an endless chain or other flexible conveyer extending through the body of sand from one level to another, bearing buckets, disks, plates, or other irregular surfaces at suitable intervals in its length, adapted to engage frictionally with the sand, said conveyer being designed to be moved upward and convey the sand in actual opposition to gravity, passing out of the confined surface thereof, so as to catch and convey portions of it to the desired point of delivery.

My present invention constitutes a specific form of the sand apparatus generically claimed in a separate patent application filed simultaneously herewith.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional elevation of the sand-box constructed in a form applicable to street-cars; Fig. 2, a vertical section of Fig. 1, taken on the line 3 y; and Fig. 3, a detail view showing in section a portion of Fig. 1, taken on the line 2.

ing inclined at a convenient angle to the ver- I tical to gravitate the sand upon the ascendant conveyer. The side 72. may be dispensed with entirely; but it is illustrated as a means of increasing the vertical capacity of the box without raising the level of the free surface (1, of the material. The box or hopper H is placed beneath the seats of the car, running longitudinally to the body thereof in the instance of application to street-railways, and the box may be filled from the interior of the car. A sand-box thus constructed is placed on both sides of the car above the trackwheels, a pair being employed at either end of the truck.

K is the chain oriiexible conveyer, provided with buckets, disks, or other irregular surfaces is at intervals in its length; and b b are sprocket wheels for directing the chain. Power may be applied to either of the wheels I) or b for propelling the chain in adirection indicated by arrows. A suitable form of propelling device applied to the lower sprocketwheel b is indicated in Fig. 2, the same con sisting in a worm-wheel b and worm b driven by any suitable hand or power appliance such, for instance, as that indicated in my aforesaid separate patent application. The portion of the chain within the box rests upon the bottom h beneath the body of sand.

h is a trough through which the chain returns and discharges the sand into the chute J, conducting to a point vertically above the track-rail. The chain or eonveyer K may be made of any suitable breadth, equal or nearly so to that of the box H. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a single chain is used, and the box made narrow to accommodate it. The bottom h is of concave shape in cross-section, as seen in Fig. 3, and the disks 7c given a substantially semicircular form to accommodate it. The breadth of the sprocket-wheel b is equal to the breadth of the disks 7.: and that of the box, whereby the solid portions m of the wheel between its notches n thereof that receive the disks 70 will close the major portion of the opening a. The remaining portion of the opening a is closed by the disks 7: themselves, a curved surface a being provided at the throat parallel with the orbit of the chain sufficient in length to cover at least one interval between the disks 7.: thereof. The outflow of sand when the chain is at rest is thereby prevented.

The cutting or plowing edges of the disks 70 may be provided with upturned lips 7.1, as indicated in Fig. 1, thus promoting the plowing action. Any small pebbles or caked portions of the sand will naturally gravitate to the lowermost portion of each pocket formed by the disks 7e, and thus be carried out freely at (L2 through the unconfined surface of the sand. The upward motion of the part of the chain interior of the box creates a tendency to release rather than confine any hard substances that naturally settle to the bottom of the mass, and the whole is constantly agitated in proportion to the force exerted by its gravity.

The conveyer K in its application herein claimed is susceptible of various constructions, corresponding to those illustrated and described with reference to the devices in my aforesaid separate patent application.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A sand-box provided with a movable chain or other fiexible conveyer extending at an angle to the horizontal through the body of sand resting thereon and bearing at intervals in its length a series of projections, and means, substantially as described, for operat ing the chain through the sand in an ascending direction.

2. A sand-box provided with a movable chain or other flexible conveyer extending at an angle to the horizontal through the body of sand from a lower level thereof to and through an unconfined surface at a higher level thereof, said chain bearing at intervals in its length a series of projections, and means, substantially as described, for propelling the chain through the sand in an ascending direction.

3. The combination, with a sand-box, of an endless chain or flexible conveyer having one portion of its orbit included Within the body of sand, occupying an angular position with reference to the horizontal, and sprocket wheels or sheaves for supporting the conveyer and propelling said included portion in an ascending direction.

4:. A sand-box provided with an angular bottom, upon which the body of sand chiefly or partially rests, and an endless chain or conveyer interposed thereon bearing at intervals in its length a series of projections, and means, substantially as described, for propelling the chain so as to enter the body of sand at a lower level of the incline and pass out from said body at an upper level of said incline.

5. The combination, with a sand-box and an angular bottom thereof, of an endless chain or conveyer having one portion of its orbit included within the body of sand parallel to and resting on said bottom and another portion exterior to the body of sand, sprocket- Wheels or equivalent for supporting the conveyer, and a trough vertically beneath the said exterior portion of the chain for conducting the releascd portions of sand to a common point of delivery.

FREDERICK G. CORNING.

\Yitnesses:

1\[. J. SPENCER, WILLis VAN VALKENBURGH. 

